Est Aliquid Semper
by wendykw
Summary: For Castle Mini-Ficathon 2017: Kate is on maternity leave after having given birth to Lily. Life should be perfect, but then...
1. Chapter 1

"Hello, Princess. Did you have a good nap?" Rick talks soothingly to a crying Lily as he lifts her from her bassinet. "Let's get you a clean diaper, before we go wake up Mommy. Mommy needs all the rest she can get." Lily continues to fret as Rick moves her to the changing table nearby and unsnaps her from her onesie, "I know you aren't happy with that messy diaper are you, baby? Daddy is gonna get you clean and sweet smelling in just a minute." Rick makes a silly face for Lily as he removes her messy diaper and drops it in the diaper genie. "What a big mess from such a tiny, beautiful girl." Rick cleans Lily with heated wipes and puts a fresh diaper on her, talking the whole time. "I know baby girl, it's not fun. Daddy will be finished in just a minute." Rick snaps the onesie closed. "See that wasn't so bad, was it Miss Lily? Let's go see Mommy." Rick picks up Lily and kisses her forehead. He cradles her to his chest, and Lily roots against his shirt. "Sorry, Darlin', I don't have the right equipment for that. Let's go wake up your Mommy."

Rick carries Lily to the master bedroom talking softly in the baby's ear as he nears the bed. "Mommy is still sleeping, but we're going to wake her up so don't you fret." Rick gently grasps Kate's shoulder, "Sorry, Honey, our progeny is hungry."

Kate tries to wipe the sleep from her eyes as Lily frets louder. "Hey, baby girl. Just give me a minute. I think my left arm's asleep. Rick, can you help me get situated so I can nurse her?"

"If I put her down on the bed, she's going to scream. What do you need me to do?"

"Put her in that football hold that you do with one arm. I just need you to help me get my clothes off. I know you can do that one-handed," Kate teases Rick.

"I'd looove to help you undress." Rick wiggles his eyebrows to tease Kate. Rick shifts Lily so that her stomach lies across his left forearm with her head cradled in his palm and her legs on either side of his elbow. Kate is talking to Lily to reassure her. Rick helps Kate shift to a sitting position against the headboard and places a pillow in her lap. He reaches out to unbutton Kate's top and slides it over her head. Kate unhooks her nursing bra's flap with her right hand. Rick helps Kate position Lily so that the baby can latch on to her left breast. Rick's phone rings in his office with the opening bars of Copland's piano sonata.

"I think we're set. Go see what Paula wants. I know that's her ringtone."

Rick kisses the top of Kate's head and rushes off to his office. Kate singsongs to Lily, "I'm sorry that took so long, little one. I must have slept wrong on that arm. It's okay now. Mommy's gonna feed you." Kate continues to talk to Lily about what they will do later and what a good baby Lily is.

Rick's raised voice starts to filter into the bedroom from his office, "No, Paula, that's not acceptable. We are not allowing the NY Ledger to come take pictures of us with the baby." He lets Paula speak for a few seconds. "No. I didn't let the papers print pictures of Alexis when she was a child, and I'm not going to allow Lily to be used for publicity."

While Rick argues with Paula, Lily has drained Kate's left breast, and Kate needs to reposition her. Kate calls out for Rick, "Rick, Babe. I need you to come back in here, please." Lily startles from Kate's louder volume and starts to fuss. "I'm sorry, my sweet girl. I need Daddy to come here." Kate covers Lily's ear with her hand as she calls for Rick again, "Rick, come here." Lily is crying and fussing. Kate loses control of the baby and Lily slips off the pillow. Lily screams from the unexpected roll onto the bed from her mother's arms. Kate screams, "Rick!"

"I, oh shit.." Rick hangs up on Paula as he starts to run to the bedroom, "I'm coming. I'm coming, Kate!"

Rick sees Kate trying to soothe the baby, while she is in a strange position. "My left side is not listening to my brain. Lily rolled off the pillow, and I can't manage to get her back up."

Rick lifts Lily from the bed to his shoulder and pats her back. Lily burps, and Rick sways to soothe and calm her. "Honey, is your left side numb or pins and needles or - I don't know what to do for you. Tell me what you need."

"It's mostly numb and doesn't want to do what I want it to do. I've never had this sensation before. Would you scoot behind me and help me hold Lily so she can finish nursing?" Kate is trying to stay calm, but she is inwardly frightened.

"There's breast milk in the refrigerator. I could give her a bottle."

"Richard Castle. You will stay away from the liquid gold in the fridge and freezer. I am saving that for emergencies, or when I go back to work."

"Okay. Whatever you need me to do." Rick sat on the bed and carefully nudged Kate towards the middle. He slid an arm behind her, while still holding Lily against his shoulder. Once he had Kate leaning against his right shoulder, he placed the pillow in Kate's lap and transferred Lily to rest on the pillow and Kate's right arm. He slid Kate closer to the middle of his chest. He unhooked the right cup of her nursing bra, but then didn't know what to do next. "Tell me what you need me to do now."

Kate used her right arm to draw Lily close to her breast. "Hold my nipple between your index and middle fingers and help Lily find it."

"I'm always happy to touch your breast," Rick tried to lighten the moment as he helped Lily latch on to nurse.

"If my other arm was working, I'd smack you right now." Kate idly threatened.

They watched Lily nurse for a few minutes. "I'm scared, Babe. This isn't normal."

"When Lily is full, I'll call Lanie. She'll know what to do, and I can reach her faster than calling your doctor's office." Rick reassured Kate. He tried to soothe Kate by using his free left hand to caress her cheek. Inwardly, Rick's brain was screaming in terror.

A/N: My plan is to update this on Sunday and Wednesday. I have the story outlined at 5 chapters, but my work schedule is not set for July yet. If my coworker returns from her medical leave as planned, I should be able to finish this within two weeks.

A/N 2: The title is from Roseanne Roseannadanna, but translated into Latin.


	2. Chapter 2

"I left my phone in my office. Let me get up, so I can go get it," Rick asks Kate as calmly as he can, even though he doesn't feel calm. Lily is snuggled up against Kate's shoulder after her feeding.

"My phone is on the nightstand. Just use that one."

Rick grabs Kate's phone, unlocks it and chooses Lanie's icon from Kate's contacts.

L: "Hello, Mama Castle. How's my favorite baby girl?" Lanie answers her phone assuming it is Kate calling.

R: "Lanie, it's Rick. We have a problem and need some advice."

L: "Writer-boy, does Kate know you're using her phone?"

R: "Lanie this is serious. Something is wrong with Beckett. Her whole left side is numb. We don't know whether to call her doctor, or just wait a while, or go to the ER."

L: "Okay. Let me ask a few questions. Is her face drooping?"

R: "No. Her face looks beautiful like always. I'll put the phone on speaker." Rick switches the call to speaker mode.

L: "Kate, Honey. Smile at your man. Rick, see if it looks normal." Kate looks at Rick and does her best to smile.

R: "Her smile looks normal, considering she's forcing it. Kate, look at Lily and smile for her." Rick moves Lily to the pillow in Kate's lap so Kate can look at the baby. Kate strokes Lily's cheek and smiles at her daughter. She looks up at Rick with the smile still on her face. "Lanie, her smile looks perfect."

L: "That's good. Now, Kate, raise both arms in front of you and hold them level."

Kate attempts to raise both arms, but her left arm drifts up and down.

K: "Lanie, I can't get the left one to stay where I want it."

R: "The left arm is lower than the right one. Her left side is numb."

L: "I can hear that Kate's speech is fine. Call an ambulance. She might be having a stroke. Do it now. Which hospital will you be using? I'll meet you there."

R: "I'll call you from the cab and let you know where the EMTs are taking her."

L: "Kate, it will be okay. I'll see you at the hospital."

K: "Thanks, Lanie. Bye for now."

Kate looks at Rick, terrified, "What are we going to do with Lily?"

"I'll call Alexis right after I call 911. It's going to be okay, Honey. I know it's going to be okay." Rick slips out from behind Kate. He slides Lily and the pillow away from Kate just far enough for him to redress Kate. "I'm going to grab my phone, so I can text Alexis while I'm waiting on line with the emergency operator. I won't be gone long." He kisses Kate before he rises from the bed. Kate leans back against the headboard and gives him a watery smile. Lily is falling asleep on the bed, her thumb in her mouth. Rick dials 911 as he rushes to his office. He has the phone on speaker.

"911. Do you need police, fire or medic?"

"Medic, please."

"I'm connecting you to Medic."

There's a slight pause on the line, so Rick grabs his own phone. He lays Kate's phone on his desk and texts Alexis from his phone: "Kate is ill. Calling ambulance now. Need you here for Lily."

911: "What is your emergency?"

R: "My wife has symptoms of a stroke. We were instructed by a doctor to call for an ambulance."

While Rick is talking to the 911 Operator and answering her questions, he receives a reply from Alexis: "In cab now. Be there in 15m "

The 911 Operator instructs him to unlock his door. Rick picks up the house phone and calls Eduardo while he heads for the door. He unlocks the door, leaves it ajar and rushes back to his office.

E: "Mr. Castle, how may I help you today?"

R: "Eduardo, there's an ambulance on the way to take Kate to the hospital. Please direct them up to us when they get here. Alexis is on her way to take care of Lily. Could you hold her cab, so I can use it to get to the hospital? No, um, when the EMTs come down with Kate, hail a cab for me then and hold it. I can't leave until Lily and Alexis are ready for me to go. Tell the cabby I'm a great tipper."

E: "Yes, yes. I will do that. I'll be praying for Captain Beckett."

R: "Thanks. Thanks."

Rick carries both iPhones back to the bedroom. He sets the phones on the bed and settles next to Kate. He wraps his arm around Kate's shoulder while listening to instructions and answering questions from 911. Lily is sleeping through the conversation. Kate continues to touch Lily lightly, staring at her baby like she'll never see her again. The 911 Operator tells them the ambulance has arrived at their address. She wants Rick to stay on the line until the EMTs have arrived in their apartment. Rick kisses Kate's temple, "It's going to be okay. I love you."

Kate looks up at Rick, "I love you, too."

Rick leaves the bedroom with Kate's phone at his ear. He hears the ping of the elevator as he reaches the door. He opens the door wide and sees 2 EMTs exiting the elevator with a stretcher. "She's in the bedroom." Rick thanks the 911 Operator and ends the call.

The stretcher is left in the foyer, and the EMTs bring bags of gear with them. One EMT starts asking Rick questions as they follow him through the loft. Rick tells them they have a 4 week-old daughter just as they reach the bedroom.

Rick precedes the EMTs into the bedroom, and he lifts Lily carefully off the bed. He cradles her to his chest as the EMTs start asking Kate questions. "Babe, take her and put her in her bassinet, please. I don't want her to wake up." Kate instructs Rick softly. He can see sadness and fear in her eyes.

"I'll be right back. She's sleeping through everything like a champ." Rick walks carefully to the bassinet in his office. He closes the door between his office and the bedroom. As he covers Lily's legs with a blanket he hears Alexis enter the loft. She sees him through the bookshelves and rushes to the office. Rick meets her just outside his office and closes the door between the office and the great room.

"Dad, what's wrong with Kate?"

Rick wraps Alexis in his arms and hugs her for a moment before he responds. "She woke up from a nap with a numb left arm. The numbness progressed to her entire left side. We called Lanie and she thinks it might be a stroke."

"Oh God, Dad." Alexis hugs her father tighter. "Is Lily asleep?"

Rick withdraws from their hug as he is speaking. "Yes. Kate finished nursing her before I called Lanie. Lily is full, and she usually falls asleep right after she nurses. She'll probably sleep an hour or so. Then she'll wake up to get a fresh diaper and play or cuddle for a while. She eats about every three or four hours. There are bottles of breast milk in the fridge and in the freezer. Kate pumps when she can, so I can feed Lily part of the time. We want her to be comfortable with me doing it, so Kate can sleep through some of the feedings. Instructions for warming the bottles are on the microwave. Kate doesn't trust my half-asleep self to remember how to do that." Rick chuckles a moment at that thought. He is leading Alexis into the bedroom via the door from the great room. The EMTs are starting an IV in Kate and preparing her for transport. One EMT is talking with the hospital, telling the person on the other end that they are transporting a patient for stroke protocol.

"Thanks for getting here so fast, Alexis." Kate greets her stepdaughter from the bed.

"I'm just happy I was nearby. Lily is asleep. Dad told me there are bottles in the fridge and freezer. Is there anything else I need to know?" Alexis can see that the EMTs are close to being able to transport Kate. One of the EMTs has left the room to get the stretcher. She's trying to focus Kate away from the EMTs and get her to think about anything Alexis needs to know. Alexis hopes the distraction will help Kate calm down. She can see the tension in Kate's face and posture.

"Her elephant is in her crib upstairs, I think. Rick did the laundry, but it's still in the dryer, but there are probably plenty of clothes in her dresser. She eats about every 3 hours or so. There's a changing table in Rick's office and one in Lily's room. But you know about that." Kate laughs a moment, stares at the ceiling and then at the EMT that is pushing the stretcher into the room. "Rick, I know she's asleep, but I want to kiss her goodbye, please." Kate looks at Rick with obvious strain on her face.

"We'll meet you at the door." Rick gives Kate a quick kiss as he leaves to get Lily. The EMTs have positioned the stretcher at the height of the bed and are helping Kate to move to the stretcher. Alexis hovers nearby, while trying to stay out of the way.

"Give me just a second," Kate tells the EMTs after they have raised the stretcher up to it's highest level. Kate lifts her right hand towards Alexis, "Alexis, come here a moment." Alexis walks to the stretcher. Kate grabs Alexis arm and pulls her towards herself. Alexis hugs Kate. "Thank you. I love you."

Alexis kisses Kate's cheek, "I love you, too. Lily and I will be fine until you get home. I'll call Gram to come over. We'll take great care of her." She lets go of Kate.

Kate grabs Alexis's hand and gives it a squeeze. "Okay, I'm ready to go." She smiles at Alexis as the EMTs wheel her out of the bedroom. At the door to the loft, Rick is waiting with Lily cradled in his arms. The EMTs instinctively halt the stretcher, so that Kate can kiss her baby. Kate whispers in Lily's ear, "Volim te malu."* Kate kisses Lily's forehead softly.

Rick kisses Kate quickly on the lips, "I love you. I'll see you at the hospital as soon as I can be there." He turns to the EMT, "Which hospital are you taking her to?"

"New York Presbyterian Lower Manhattan. Sir, we need to go."

"Yes, yes. Okay." Rick squeezes Kate's hand and steps out of the way. Kate smiles at him as she is pushed out of the loft. Rick watches them enter the elevator and closes the door to the loft. Lily stirs a little in his arms. She slips her thumb into her mouth and settles with a sigh. Rick smiles at his younger daughter.

"Dad, I know where everything is. If I need to ask you something, I can call you. What do you need to take with you? Do you have your phone and wallet? Do you have Kate's insurance card and ID?" Alexis tries to get Rick to focus and get into the moment. If he starts doing what needs to be done, he will be able to delay the panic she can see he is trying to hide.

"Right, phone, wallet. Um, I'll get Kate's wallet from her purse, and I'll need her phone, too. Do I need a jacket? No, wait…It's summer. I don't need a jacket. Um, shoes, I need shoes." Rick pats his pockets. "Thanks, pumpkin. Will you call Mother? Oh and call Lanie. She wants to meet us at the hospital. I need to go in the bedroom a minute."

"Sure, Dad. Do you want me to take Lily or are you going to put her in your office?"

"I'll put her in the bassinet in the office. Be back in a minute. Check with Eduardo if he has a cab for me."

Rick carries Lily to the office, settles her in her bassinet, "Mommy will be fine. She's tough and has survived so much. She's not going to leave us, I know it," Rick whispers as he stares at his infant daughter. He hurries into the bedroom, slips into some loafers and makes a quick trip to the bathroom. He uses the toilet, washes his hands, splashes a little water on his face and dries off. He brushes his hair hurriedly. He slaps his pockets to find his wallet. He opens his wallet and checks for the insurance cards. Satisfied that he has a copy of Kate's insurance card, he looks for his phone. His phone must be in the bedroom. He rushes to the bedroom, finds his phone and Kate's phone and pockets them both. He grabs the baby monitor as he passes it. He hands Alexis the baby monitor and turns toward the entry closet to get Kate's ID out of her wallet. There are 3 purses in the closet, but he knows the wallet is probably in the top one. He fishes out Kate's ID and slides it into the pocket of his shirt. Alexis is waiting at the door to the closet as he turns.

"Eduardo has a cab waiting. Do you have cash for the cab? It'll be faster than a credit card."

Rick pulls a folded pile of bills from his pocket. "I think I'm good. I'll call the car service when we are ready to come home. I'm hoping that will be soon. You call me if you need anything." Rick kisses Alexis and opens the door. "I'll call as soon as I know anything. Thanks."

"Don't worry about us. We'll be fine. I've called Lanie. She says she's on her way. I'll call Gram and Jim. Love you."

"I'll call Jim from the cab. Love you, too." Rick rushes out the door. He takes the stairs two at a time to get to the Lobby. Eduardo holds the door for him. "Thanks, Eduardo."

"I hope you are both back home very soon, Mr. Castle."

Rick hops in the cab, "New York Presbyterian, Lower Manhattan. Thanks for waiting."

"Your doorman said it was an emergency. I'll have you there super quick." The cabby pulls away from the curb. He glances at the meter that has been running while he waits, and at the man in the back seat. He recognizes the author from other trips. He knows the tip will be worth his time.

Rick taps the phone icon on his iPhone. He takes a deep breath to calm himself before he calls his father-in-law. The call is answered after 2 rings.

"Rick, how are my girls?"

"Jim, I need you to meet me at Presbyterian Hospital in Lower Manhattan. Kate might be having a stroke."

Jim's smile drops from his face. "I'll be there as soon as possible. Take care of her for me, Rick."

"I will, Jim. I will."

*I love you little one (It's Croatian)

A/N: My coworker isn't returning to work for another few weeks, so I'll be working the 4th of July. That might delay the next chapter. I'm hoping to have it up on Thursday, since I'll be off on Wednesday. If I get motivated, I might have time to get the next chapter written tonight.


	3. Chapter 3

_10 minutes earlier than the end of Chapter 2:_

As soon as her Dad has left the great room of the loft, Alexis opens the contacts on her phone and calls Lanie:

L: "Alexis, are you at the Loft?"

A: "Yes, the EMTs just left with Kate. They're taking her to New York Presbyterian, Lower Manhattan. Dad is grabbing things to take with him, and then he'll be on his way. Lanie, I heard the EMT telling the hospital he was bringing in a patient for stroke protocol. What does that mean?"

L: "When a stroke is suspected, they want to do certain lab tests immediately and triage the patient as a true emergency. He was letting them know that Kate moves to the front of the line for the doctor's attention. If they determine it really is a stroke, they want to treat her at the first possible moment in order to minimize the damage to her brain."

A: "This can't be happening! Haven't they been through enough?"

L: "Alexis. Listen to me. It may not be a stroke. I can think of several less severe possible causes for her numbness. If it is a stroke, Kate is going to get the best of care. Your Dad and I will see to that. Now, you take care of your baby sister, and tell Castle I'll see him at the hospital. You hear me, Alexis?"

A: "Thanks, Lanie. Lily and I will be fine. I need to call Gram next. Talk to you soon."

L: "Bye, honey."

 _Back to Rick in the cab_

Rick's cab arrives at the hospital. Rick doesn't even look at the meter, just hands the cabby $100 and tells him, "Thanks" as he climbs out of the cab. The cabby looks at the money, a little shocked, and tries to thank Rick. Rick is already entering the hospital, before the cabby can say a word.

Rick rushes to the reception desk in the Emergency Department, "My wife, Katherine Beckett Castle, was brought in by ambulance."

The receptionist recognizes Castle as the author whose books she has read, "Mr. Castle let me call the charge nurse and find out your wife's status." The receptionist calls the charge nurse, talks to her briefly and returns her full attention to Rick. "Someone will be out to take you back in a moment. I'll need to see your ID and give you some papers to fill out."

Rick pulls his wallet from his pocket, shows his ID to the receptionist. "Mr. Castle, what is your wife's date of birth?"

"November 17, 1979."

"She's already in the computer system from a recent admission. You are listed as next of kin and her medical history looks complete. Has her insurance changed in the past month?"

"Nothing has changed. I need to see my wife, please. Will they be out for me soon?"

A nurse comes out of a door behind the receptionist, "Mr. Castle?" She knows who he is, but has to pretend she doesn't.

"Yes, I'm Richard Castle. Is my wife doing okay?"

"I'm Jessica. I'm the charge nurse today. Please, come with me. I'll take you to your wife."

Rick follows the nurse through the corridors of the Emergency Department. "Your wife is being assessed for a stroke. We've drawn the standard blood work for a stroke protocol. The ER physician, Dr. Bolden, has examined her, and he has contacted the on-call neurologist, Dr. Wright. As soon as the lab results are available, Dr. Wright will be in to talk to you both. She's in room 6."

"Thank you, Jessica. Do you have any idea how long until we have the lab results?"

"With stroke protocol, the labs jump to the front of the line, so to speak. We should have results in the next 10 or 15 minutes," Jessica opens the door to Kate's room.

Rick sees Kate on the hospital bed. She has been changed into a hospital gown and the head of the bed is raised. When she sees Rick at the door, she smiles brightly at him.

"Hey, Babe. You got here faster than I expected."

"I'll let Dr. Wright know that Mr. Castle has arrived. He should be in to talk to you both in a few minutes," Jessica tells them, and she closes the door.

Rick walks to Kate's side and softly kisses Kate's lips as he reaches for her hand. "Hey. How are you feeling? Has the numbness abated at all?"

"That's my best-selling author using his giant vocabulary," Kate tries to make Rick smile. She receives a slight lift of his lips in return. "It's about the same. It hasn't gotten any worse, so that's good. I hope. I think." Kate tries to smile for Rick, but he can tell she's forcing it. She leans her head against Rick's chest, and he wraps his arms around her. She clasps his left hand with her right hand and squeezes. They simply cling to each other as they wait for the doctor.

 _Back at the Loft_

Alexis is on the phone with her grandmother, "Gram, I need you to come to the loft as soon as you can get here."

"Darling, is something wrong? I have a class in 10 minutes. Is Richard alright?" Martha sounds concerned.

"Kate has been taken to the hospital. It might be a stroke."

Martha inhales deeply in response, "A stroke? Oh my God. Why would they think she's having a stroke? She's too young for that."

"She woke up from a nap with numbness on one side of her body. Dad called Lanie, and she had him call an ambulance. Dad called me to come watch Lily. He's gone to the hospital. Lily is napping. Gram, I'm scared for Kate, and I really need you to come over," the words stream from Alexis quickly. Martha realizes that Alexis is extremely upset.

"Darling, calm down. I will let my students know I need to leave and grab a cab. It will take me at least 30 minutes to get there. Call me if you hear anything from Richard. I'll be there as quickly as I can."

"Thanks, Gram." Alexis ends the call and wipes a tear from her cheek. She taps her phone to make another call.

"Alexis. I thought you'd be back by now," Hayley answers the call.

"Dad called and asked me to come babysit Lily. Kate was taken by ambulance to the hospital. It might be a stroke," Alexis pauses to take a breath. "I don't know when I'll be back at the office."

"I can handle the office. Is there anything you need me to do for you?" Hayley asks in a soothing voice.

"Gram is on her way. I'll let you know when I hear something from Dad."

"If you need anything from me, just call."

"Thanks, I will," Alexis ends the call. The baby monitor comes to life with the sounds of Lily stirring from her nap. Alexis starts walking to the office and Lily's grunts change cries. Alexis lifts her sister from the bassinet, "Don't cry, sweetie. I'll get that wet diaper off of you right away. Mommy and Daddy had to go to the hospital, but they will be back as soon as they can. We'll have some sister time until they get home." Alexis makes faces and talks about what she and Lily are going to do while the adults are away, "We'll listen to some old records from when I was little. I'm sure they are still upstairs in my old room." Alexis finishes changing Lily and lifts the baby to her shoulder. She kisses Lily's cheek and holds her sister firmly to her shoulder as she walks across the loft. Lily is still fussing a little. Alexis sings to her sister as she climbs the stairs, "Hush, little baby, don't say a word. Papa's gonna buy you a mockingbird.."

 _Room 6 in the Emergency Department_

Rick and Kate are seated side by side on her bed, their legs dangling off the side of the bed. Kate is leaning against Rick with her head on his shoulder. He has an arm around her back and his hand is resting on her waist. His head is leaning atop her head. There is a quick knock on the door before it opens. A doctor in a white coat enters the room. Rick and Kate sit more erectly.

"Mr. and Mrs. Castle, I'm Dr. Wright," he introduces himself and extends his hand to first Kate and then Rick to shake their hands. "Dr. Bolden called me to evaluate Mrs. Castle's symptoms. I have her lab results and the only abnormal finding at this time is a low magnesium level. Dr. Bolden told me you have an infant, and I assume you are breastfeeding."

"Yes," Rick and Kate reply in unison. Kate gives Rick a look that he interprets as 'I can answer the questions.' Rick tilts his head slightly to acknowledge her look.

"Breastfeeding can put a strain on your body, so the magnesium level isn't unexpected. I know you've been examined already, but I'd like to do my own assessment. Mr. Castle would you move to the chair, please?" Rick gives Kate a gentle side hug and stands up from the bed. He moves a few steps away. "If I could tell my wife that I met you two, she would be so jealous. We are both big fans of yours. Not just for your enjoyable books, Mr. Castle, but also for the work you both did and the risks you took to bring down Senator Bracken." Dr. Wright pulls out a penlight, "Tilt your head back for me, please. I want to check your eyes for a moment. " While he is doing his assessment he continues to chat with the Castles, "Do you use the name Katherine Castle all the time, or are you still Captain Beckett at work?

"I'm Beckett at work, Castle in my private life."

"Raise your arms and hold them level in front of yourself, please," Dr. Wright watches as Kate tries to comply. Her left arm doesn't stay steady. "My wife and I became fans of Mr. Castle, when he was writing the Derrick Storm series. I made her buy two copies of the books, so I wouldn't have to wait for her to finish the book first," he touches Kate's arms to signal her to lower them. He pulls a plastic case from his pocket and withdraws a metal probe from it. "I'd like you to close your eyes. I'm going to touch you with this, and I want you to tell me whenever you feel it. It's not sharp." He touches it lightly to several places on each arm. Kate tells him she feels it quickly when he touches her right arm, but doesn't respond to every touch to her left arm.

Rick tries to hide the concern from his face, before Kate opens her eyes at Dr. Wright's permission to do so. Dr. Wright pulls a disinfecting wipe from a plastic container in a rack on the wall. He wipes off the probe and replaces it in his case. "I'm going to have the lab add some additional tests to the blood they already have. Someone will be in in a few minutes to take you to Radiology. I'm ordering a CAT scan of your brain. Don't panic," He reassures them due to the look of surprise on their faces. "I didn't see any abnormalities in your eye reflexes to the light. There _was_ a slight discrepancy in your responses to the probe touches to your arms. I am ordering the CAT scan to rule out a stroke. We want to get that information quickly, because if it is a stroke we need to treat it quickly. Do you have any questions for me at this time?"

"Will we have to wait long before they can do the CAT scan?" Rick asks.

"Someone will be here shortly. We prioritize suspected stroke patients. There isn't any prep needed, so I expect someone from radiology will be here in a very few minutes."

"Thank you, Dr. Wright. I'm hoping to get home to my baby as soon as possible." Kate replies.

"That is our goal, Mrs. Castle," Dr. Wright pats Kate's shoulder. He shakes Rick's hand again and leaves the room.

Rick resumes sitting next to Kate. They sink into each other while they wait. There's a knock at the door. It opens to reveal a nurse, "A man stating that he is your father is in the waiting room, Mrs. Castle. Are you expecting him?"

Rick answers the nurse, "His name is Jim Beckett." He turns to Kate, "I called him on the way here."

"That is the name the man gave me. He had an ID to verify that name. Would you like me to bring him back here?"

Rick pulls out his phone, scrolls through some photos and shows a picture of Jim to the nurse, "Is that the man?"

The nurse nods her head, "Yes, that's him."

"Bring him back, please," Kate tells the nurse.

"Ok. Radiology should be ready for you in less than 10 minutes. I'll get your father and be back in a moment," the nurse says before she leaves the room.

"Why did you call Dad, before we knew anything?" Kate asks Rick.

"If it was Alexis, I would want to know immediately. I know your Dad would be upset if I didn't call him."

"Thank you. I'm sure your instincts on this are better than mine."

Rick presses his lips to Kate's temple. A quick rap on the door is followed by Jim's entrance into the room. "Katie, how are you feeling?"

"It's not too bad, Dad. Just some numbness on my left side. We're being cautious and letting them check everything out. Thanks for coming."

"Where else would I be, when my daughter is in the ER?' Jim leans in to kiss Kate's cheek. "What's happened so far?"

Rick fills Jim in on the tests and the doctor's visit. They chat about Lily while they wait the few minutes before the nurse returns with a wheelchair to take Kate to Radiology.

"We'll go grab a cup of coffee while you're gone. Have someone call me when you get back in the room, please." Rick asks.

"I will, Babe."

 _Back at the Loft_

Martha lets herself into the Loft. She walks toward Rick's office, but realizes no one is in there. She is about the climb the stairs, when Alexis and Lily start down the stairs. Alexis has Lily's purple elephant tucked under her arm. "I'm glad you made it here so fast, Gram."

"Hello, my grands," Martha effuses. When Alexis reaches the bottom of the stairs, Martha kisses Lily's forehead and then Alexis's forehead. Alexis smiles at her.

"Would you like to hold Lily?"

"Of course! Come here, little one. Let Gram smother you with kisses."

Alexis laughs. Having her grandmother here loosens the clench in her gut. She starts to believe that things will be okay.

Alexis's phone rings. "Hi, Dad. Any news so far?"

"Her lab results are fairly normal. The doctor is a fan. Kate is on her way to get a CAT scan. Jim is here, and we're going to have some coffee while we wait for Kate to be finished with that. Is everything okay there?" Rick asks.

"Of course, Kate would end up with a doctor who is a fan," Alexis chuckles. "Gram is here, and Lily is enjoying the attention. No diagnosis yet, I guess."

"Not yet. I'll call you again when we know more. Love you."

"Love you, too, Dad."

 _In the coffee shop on the 1_ _st_ _floor of the hospital_

Rick and Jim are drinking coffee. "How are you doing?" Rick asks Jim.

Jim: "Son, I know I'm scared half to death. You must be a mess under that poker face you're using."

R: "Son of an actress. I won't let Kate see how scared I am."

J: "My Katie chose well, when she decided on a husband."

R: "I told Kate once, that my dreams come true. I thought that Kate marrying me was the biggest miracle of my life. But it's a miracle that we are even alive. It's a miracle that we have Lily. I'm terrified that we're running out of miracles."

J: "Katie is a strong woman. We are at a first class hospital, and I know that if we need more expertise than that, you have the resources to find whatever Kate needs."

Rick tries to smile. Jim squeezes Rick's hand. Rick's phone rings. "Lanie, hello. Jim and I are in the coffee shop." He listens to Lanie for a few seconds. "We'll be there in a few minutes and I'll fill you in." Another pause while Lanie talks. "Okay. We'll meet you there."

Rick ends the call and looks at Jim, "Lanie is waiting in the ER waiting room." Jim nods, finishes off his coffee and rises from the table. Rick gulps down a few more swallows of coffee. His phone rings again. "Hello. Yes, certainly we'll be right there." Rick stands, "Kate is back in her room. Let's get Lanie and go to Kate's room."


	4. Chapter 4

Rick and Jim find Lanie pacing in the ER waiting room. "Castle, Mr. Beckett, any news on our girl?"

"They took her for a CAT scan. I just got a call that she's back in her room. Let's get you signed in as a visitor," Rick gestures to the reception desk.

"I occasionally consult with a doctor who does research here. I have an ID that will get me in," Lanie replies as she removes a hospital ID from her bag. She clips the badge to her blouse. The trio walks to the security guard's desk next to the entrance to the ER's exam area. The guard checks Jim and Rick's names against his list and glances at Lanie's ID. The three walk to Room 6 where Kate is waiting.

"Lanie, Hi. I didn't know you would be coming so soon. How late is it?" Kate greets her friend. Rick walks to the bed and sits next to Kate, who has slid as far to the right side of the bed as she can.

"I got Perlmutter to cover for me. He sends his regards. He seems genuinely concerned about you. Has the numbness changed any?" Lanie has pulled one of the chairs in the room to the right side of the bed. Jim had already sat in the chair closest to the bed on that side.

K: "The numbness is a little better. I actually fell asleep while they were doing the CAT scan. They had my head blocked in place and there was a delay for a few minutes. I just fell to sleep. Anyway, the nurse that helped me back to bed said that Dr. Wright will be in to talk to us as soon as he talks to the Radiologist who reads my scan."

L: "Have they told you any of your lab results?"

R: "Dr. Wright said everything looked normal except her magnesium. It's a little low."

L: "Not surprising since she's breastfeeding."

"Speaking of which…" Kate motions to the front of her hospital gown where wet spots are appearing over each of her breasts. "I'm leaking milk. Dad, please don't look at me right now."

"I'll go ask a nurse to come in and help you out," Jim leaves the room and manages to not laugh until he has closed the door behind him.

"Richard Castle, you are not allowed to laugh," Kate sternly admonishes her husband. Rick is turning red with his effort to avoid laughing. "If I was at home, I could save this milk."

A nurse enters the room holding a clean gown and two specimen containers, "Mrs. Castle, have you manually expressed your breast milk before?"

"We have a breast pump at home. I haven't done it manually."

Lanie turns to Rick, "Writer Man, why don't you join Jim in the waiting room?"

"Kate, I …" Rick only gets out the 2 words before Kate gives him a look. "I'll be in the waiting room with Jim. Call me when it's safe for us to return."

K: "Thanks, Babe. Lanie will call you when we're done."

Rick squeezes Kate's hand and leaves the room. Jim is waiting in a sitting area a short distance from Kate's room. Rick almost doesn't see him, but Jim gets up from his seat when Rick starts to walk away. The motion catches Rick's eye, and he walks over to join Jim. "I never noticed this area before."

"A nurse directed me here after I came out of Katie's room. She said it's a place for families to wait while the doctor examines a patient. It keeps the nurses from having to search for us later," Jim explains. "And, it keeps us out of their way."

Rick takes a seat next to Jim. There are a few magazines on a table. Rick's phone rings.

"Hello, Mother. Thank you for staying with Alexis and Lily."

"Where else would I be? Alexis is feeding Lily. Is there any more news?" Martha asks.

R: "Kate is back from her CAT Scan. She is leaking milk, which apparently is timed to Lily being hungry. She kicked Jim and I out of the room while the nurse and Lanie help her express her milk."

M: "If Katherine needs to stay overnight, I could bring that fancy breast pump up there."

R: "Thank you. I am hoping we are allowed to leave after the doctor gets the Scan results."

M: "Well, call us when there is more news."

R: 'I will and thank you, Mother. I know you must have had to leave your students."

M: "You don't have to thank me for spending time with my granddaughters. You just take care of Katherine."

R: "I will. Love you, Mother."

M: "Same to you, kiddo."

Rick looks over at Kate's room's door. The nurse leaves the room, goes to a cart and grabs a purple bag. Rick stands up and starts to walk towards the nurse. She motions for him to return to his seat and goes back in Kate's room.

"They'll let us know when we can come back in, Rick. There's the remote for that TV if you want to turn it on. I've been a little surprised at all the TVs around here. The ones in the main waiting room are almost as big as the one you and Katie gave me for Christmas," Jim is trying to distract Rick.

"I wasn't in the waiting room long enough to notice that. We didn't even turn on the one in Kate's room," Rick replies while looking over the remote he picked up from the side table. Rick turns on the TV and starts flipping channels. He tries to find a channel guide, but there doesn't seem to be one. He finds TNT is showing The Avengers and leaves the TV on that channel.

"Didn't we watch this at your place one night after you and Katie got home from the hospital after the shooting? Kate fell asleep after a few minutes. You told me it was comforting to be home and be able to watch a good movie." Jim reminisces.

"Anything by Joss Whedon is well done. It gives me a feeling of home and happy. I just wish we could go home soon," Rick replies.

The men are both alert to movement from Kate's door. The nurse leaves Kate's room with the purple bag. The bag appears to have something in it now. She motions them to come to her. Rick turns off the TV. He and Jim walk to the nurse.

"She's ready for you to go back in. I'll put this in the refrigerator that we keep food for the patients. I have labeled the bag and the cups with Mrs. Castle's ID labels. I'll put a note on the fridge for the staff, letting them know the breast milk is to remain undisturbed until you are ready to leave."

Rick thanks the nurse and the men return to Kate's room.

"Mother called while we were out of the room," Rick starts the conversation once he and Jim are seated in their previous positions. "Alexis was feeding Lily and everything is fine at home."

"Lily isn't even here and my body knew what she wanted," Kate joked. A knock at the door draws everyone's attention. Dr. Wright steps into the room.

"You have company now, I see," Dr. Wright greets them.

Rick stands to make introductions, "Dr. Wright, this is Jim Beckett, Kate's father." Jim shakes Dr. Wright's hand. "And this is Dr. Lanie Parish, Kate's best friend."

"Dr. Parish. We've met before at a seminar, I believe," Dr. Wright states as he shakes Lanie's hand.

"I think I remember that," Lanie replies, and she sits back down.

"Mrs. Castle, are you comfortable with Dr. Parish and your father being here while I discuss the results of your scan?" Dr. Wright turns his attention to Kate.

"Yes, I want them here," Kate answers.

"Then I'll jump to what you want to hear. Your scan was negative. You haven't had a stroke," Dr. Wright informs them and then smiles.

L: "Oh, thank God."

R: "Yes!" And he kisses Kate's temple.

Jim just smiles.

"You lab work looks fairly normal, but you do have a magnesium deficiency. Magnesium is part of the electrolyte system in your blood. Low mag interferes with the use of calcium and potassium. Do you have a family history of migraines?" Dr. Wright asks.

K: "But I don't have a headache."

L: "Are you thinking acephalgic migraine?"

R: "Assa what's it?"

Dr. W: "It's a migraine with neurological symptoms but no pain. Most patients I have encountered with acephalgic migraine eventually transition to migraine with aura."

J: "My mother had what she called sick headaches. She'd lie down in a dark room when she got one."

Dr. W: "Mrs. Castle has your numbness changed in intensity at all?"

K: "Yes. It's some better, but not enough that I'd trust myself to pick up my baby."

Dr. W: "As I said, we did find a magnesium deficiency. There has been some research that links low magnesium to migraine. I'm ordering an IV with magnesium sulfate. It's a small bag, and it should take less than 30 minutes to infuse. Once that is finished, we'll recheck some blood work and see how your numbness is progressing. If the lab work is normal, and your numbness has abated enough that you can walk around the room, I'll discharge you. A nurse should be here with that IV soon. I'd like you to make an appointment with my office or a neurologist of your choice within the next month. If you have a reoccurrence before your appointment, please call my service. I will call you back as soon as possible. My numbers will be included in your discharge papers, and I'll give my card to your husband. We'll also include a list of magnesium rich foods to incorporate into your diet. Do not take any magnesium supplements on your own. Adding some mag rich foods to your diet should be sufficient. I, or any neurologist you choose, will recheck your blood work at your appointment. Any questions?"

No one has any questions. Dr. Wright gives Rick his card. Rick thanks him and shakes his hand. Kate thanks Dr. Wright, and he leaves the room.

R: "Lanie, is acephalgic migraine very common? I've never heard of it before."

L: "It's fairly rare. There has been some link found between magnesium deficiency and migraines, so that might be what triggered it."

R: "After we get home, I'll do what I do best: Research. Lanie would you write acephalgic on the back of Dr. Wright's card, please? It will be easier to research it if I can spell it."

Everyone laughs a little at Rick's comment. Rick hands Lanie the card and a pen. Lanie writes acephalgic migraine on the back of the card. She goes to Kate after she hands the card back to Rick, "Girl, you scared me there for a while. You let Writer Man take care of you. I'll call you tomorrow." Lanie gives Kate a hug. "It was nice to see you, Mr. Beckett. I hope next time I see you, we aren't at a hospital." Lanie looks pointedly at Rick. "Take care of my girl."

"Of course. Come see us soon, Lanie. And thanks for helping us out today." Rick gives Lanie a hug before she leaves.

"I'm going to call Mother and Alexis to tell them what the doctor said," Rick tells Kate and Jim. "Jim do you need to leave, yet?"

"I'll stay until you get back. I need to head back to the office and finish a contract for a client tonight," Jim replies.

Rick leaves the room and goes to the sitting area he and Jim had occupied earlier. It is empty, so he takes out his phone to make his call.

Alexis answers her phone. "Dad, how's Kate?"

"Pumpkin, if you can put this on speaker phone, it will save me from having to call your grandmother."

A: "Okay. You're on speaker. How's Kate?"

R: "She didn't have a stroke."

A: "Thank goodness."

M: "Wonderful news."

R: "The diagnosis is acephalgic migraine. It's a migraine without a headache, just the aura or neurological symptoms. Jim says his mother had migraines. The doctor said migraines are familial. Kate has a magnesium deficiency, so they are going to give her some through her IV. After that we should be home soon."

M: "I've never heard of that before. Are they sure that's what it is?"

R: "Lanie was here, and she says it's rare. Lanie seemed to think that the diagnosis fit, so I'm going to trust that the diagnosis is correct."

A: "Gram and I will handle everything here until you get home. Don't worry. Lily is taking her after-feeding snooze. She's fine."

R: "Thank you, both. We'll order takeout when we get there. I should at least feed you both tonight. I'll call when we're ready to leave."

A: "See you later, Dad."

M: "Tell Katherine that everything is fine here."

R: "I will. Talk to you later."

Rick returns to Kate's room. Jim is telling Kate about his mother's headaches, "She'd throw up with them sometimes. Usually she'd take some medicine and lay down in her bedroom with all the lights off."

"Dad was telling me about Nonna's headaches. I don't remember her having them," Kate tells Rick as he sits beside her.

"I don't remember exactly when she stopped having them. I think it was in her late 40's," Jim tells them. "It was before you were born."

"It's not a clean bill of health, but considering I was afraid I'd had a stroke, it's not the worst possibility," Kate reasons.

"Mother and Alexis said Lily is napping after her latest feeding. I told them we'd order in once we get home. Jim can you join us this evening?" Rick wants to steer the conversation away from Kate's non-stroke.

"I'm going to head back to the office. I need to get that contract ready for a meeting tomorrow. Katie, I'm glad it wasn't as bad as we feared. Love you," Jim kisses Kate on the forehead. "Rick, call me and invite me over for dinner soon. I want to see my grandbaby."

"Your welcome anytime. Check your calendar and let me know when a good time is for you. We're homebodies these days." Rick shakes Jim's hand before Jim leaves the room.

"I'll call you soon."

As soon as Jim is out the door, the nurse enters with the IV. "I'm going to infuse this through the IV catheter we put in earlier. When did you eat last?"

"I had breakfast, fed Lily and then I had a nap while she napped. I woke up to feed Lily and that's when all this started. So nothing since breakfast." Kate explains to the nurse.

"Would you like some yogurt or some peanut butter with graham crackers? We keep snacks here, but I'd have to call Dietary to get you a real meal," the nurse tells them.

"I'd like some yogurt. Cherry or vanilla if you have it would be nice," Kate replies. She watches the nurse hang the little IV bag and hook it up.

"I'll see what we have. It's usually strawberry or blueberry," the nurse replies.

"Strawberry, please,"

The nurse leaves the room. Rick sits next to Kate. He rubs his hand up and down her unfettered arm. She leans her head on his shoulder and they find a comfortable position to lean together.

The nurse returns to the room. She's carrying strawberry yogurt, some graham crackers and a packet of peanut butter. She has two bottles of water. "I thought Mr. Castle might need a snack, too." She places the snacks and some plastic-ware on the over-bed table.

"Thank you. I am a little hungry," Rick smiles at the nurse. The nurse leaves the room.

Rick opens Kate's yogurt and hands it to her. He opens the plastic wrapper from the plastic-ware and gives Kate the spoon. He opens both bottles of water and his packets of crackers and peanut butter. He uses a plastic knife to spread his peanut butter over the graham crackers. "I need to call Paula and apologize for hanging up on her." He drinks a quarter of his bottle of water.

Kate is spooning strawberry yogurt into her mouth. She drinks part of her water and turns to Rick to place a kiss on his jawline near his ear. "Eat your snack, Babe. I'm surprised Paula hasn't called you back."

"I muted her calls when I was in the cab. She was texting me over and over. I didn't want to talk to her when I was so stressed."

"When the nurse comes back, why don't you go outside to call her? That way you won't have to watch them draw my blood." Kate finishes with a smirk and spoons more yogurt.

"Works for me," Rick puts his last cracker in his mouth. He grins at Kate and there is peanut butter showing on his teeth. He crosses his eyes to make her laugh. They both release the tension they have been holding in all afternoon. Rick finishes his bottle of water. "I'm going to give the car service a heads up that I'm going to need them here in about an hour. If they have to wait, so be it."

Kate looks at the IV. It's almost finished. "Make your phone calls, Babe. I'll be okay until you get back."

"I'll wait until the nurse comes back. It's nice just sitting here next to my beautiful wife."

Rick drapes his arm over Kate's shoulder, and they rest against each other with a sigh.


	5. Chapter 5

The bag of Magnesium Sulfate is almost empty, so Rick uses the call button to summon the nurse. Within two minutes the nurse has returned to Kate's room. "Looks like it's emptied out well." The nurse stops the flow of fluid, unhooks the bag from Kate's IV catheter, and removes the bag from the IV stand. "I'll be back in a few minutes to draw the labs the doctor ordered. If you start feeling short of breath or light-headed, hit the call button. You might also feel warm all over. Those are all normal side effects of the Magnesium IV. If you feel anything unusual, press the call button and I'll be right back."

"Unusual, how?" Rick is feeling concerned.

"Some patients have some heart flutters, or they feel weak. Some patients have some muscle spasms. Most reactions are transient. Mrs. Castle received a small dose, and I don't anticipate any problems. I do need you to be aware that there might be a reaction."

"I'll let you know if I feel anything strange. Right now, I'm feeling better than I did when I arrived," Kate tries to reassure Rick with her comment to the nurse.

"I'll be back in just a few minutes. Don't hesitate to call if you need anything," the nurse instructs them just before she leaves the room.

"You're sure you're alright?" Rick asks Kate. He resumes his place next to her on the bed and pulls her close to his side. Kate rests her head on his shoulder.

K: "I'm fine, Babe. The numbness is going away a little more every minute. I'm hoping that by the time we get home, I'll be able to pick up Lily. I haven't been away from her since she was born. It's making me anxious to not be at home with her."

R: "She was taking her after-eating snooze, when I talked to Alexis. She'll be happy to see you when we get home."

K: "I hope that's soon. I don't want to have to express milk again. That was not the most embarrassing moment of my life, but having my Dad in the room…don't want to do that ever again."

Rick can't keep from laughing. Kate playfully smacks his chest with her hand, but can't keep from laughing herself. They look at each other and laugh for a couple minutes. Rick kisses Kate's temple once he has stopped laughing. Kate is wiping tears from the corner of her eye when the nurse knocks on the door.

"Are you alright?" the nurse asks because she sees Kate wipe away a tear.

"We were laughing. It's the best medicine they say," Kate replies with a smile.

"That's true. I need to get a couple tubes of blood. I'm going to draw it from the catheter. I'll flush the catheter, draw a discard tube and then get the tube for the test."

"That's my cue to go make a couple of phone calls. Do you have any idea how soon we might be able to go home? I need to call the car service to take us home," Rick asks as he starts to leave the room.

"The labs should be back in less than half an hour. Dr. Wright has given orders to discharge if the Magnesium level is normal, so probably an hour or an hour and a half at the most," the nurse replies.

"Excellent. I'll be back in a few minutes," Rick waves as he closes the door.

Rick speed dials the car service while walking to the waiting alcove, "Bob, hi, this is Richard Castle. I need a car to be on standby in the ER lot at New York Presbyterian in Lower Manhattan in about an hour. Is that going to be possible?"

"Mr. Castle is everything alright?" Bob seems genuinely concerned.

"Mrs. Castle had a problem, but it's nothing serious I'm happy to say. She's supposed to be released in about an hour. I'd like to have the car waiting, so we can leave as soon as they release her."

"That won't be a problem. I'll have a car there in less than an hour. Just call me back when she's about to get in the wheelchair they'll use to take her to the exit. The driver will pull up to the discharge area. I'll send a driver that you've used before."

"Thank you. I'll call you back when I see the wheelchair enter her room."

Rick sits in the same chair he used earlier in this waiting area. He takes a deep breath and speed dials Paula.

"Richard Castle, you hung up on me," an angry Paula answers her phone.

R: "I'm at the hospital. Kate had a problem, and we had to call an ambulance."

P: "What happened? The last words I heard from you were "Oh shit'."

"We thought Kate might have had a stroke. She was numb on the left side of her body. The tests for a stroke were negative. She had a magnesium deficiency and they gave her an IV. We should be going home in about an hour." Rick gives Paula the bare bones of the situation. He doesn't want to share the migraine diagnosis.

"I guess I'll forgive you for hanging up in that case. Did you have to bring the baby to the hospital with you?" Paula is curious.

"Alexis was able to come over, before the ambulance left with Kate. She and Mother are at the loft now. I need to get back to Kate. The nurse is motioning me to return," Rick tells Paula as he sees the nurse leaving Kate's room.

"Give Kate my best, and call me tomorrow," Paula barely replies before Rick says "Bye" and ends the call.

Rick walks swiftly to Kate's room. The nurse tells him, "The labs should take half an hour. If she has any problems, press the call button."

"Will do. Thank you," Rick gives the nurse his famous-author smile.

Rick walks in to Kate's room. She is fiddling with the patient armband on her wrist. "I remember years ago, Dr. Motorcycle Boy was messing with your armband when I entered your room. I'm very happy he isn't here now."

"Silly man. I haven't seen him, since I left the hospital that summer. You're welcome to come mess with my armband, if it will make you feel better," Kate teases Rick.

R: "There are other parts of you I'd rather mess with."

K: "Not all my parts are available, yet. In 13 days you will have full access once again."

"I know exactly how many days we have to wait for that. In the mean time…" Rick arrives at the bed and kisses Kate firmly on the mouth. She loops an arm around his neck to extend the kiss.

"You're still a very good kisser," Kate teases her husband.

"I know. Anyway, the car service will be waiting when you're discharged, and I appeased Paula. Do you need anymore of my excellent kisses?" Rick teases back.

"I'm good for now, husband. What shall we do to distract us for the next little while?"

"The Avengers is on TNT. We could watch TV."

"That'll work. I wonder how good a kisser Iron Man is," Kate decides to prolong the teasing.

"You are never going to find out, Woman. Besides, I think you're too tall for him."

Kate can't contain her amusement and laughs loudly. Rick laughs with her. He turns on the TV and finds The Avengers is still on. They cuddle together while they watch Iron Man pushing the missile thru the wormhole.

The movie credits are rolling when the nurse returns to Kate's room. "Your magnesium level is back to normal. How is the numbness?"

"I've been so distracted by Iron Man, I haven't thought about it," Kate lifts her left arm and flexes her fingers. "It's much better, but not totally normal yet."

"Dr. Wright instructed me to ask you to walk around the room. He wants you able to walk safely, before we discharge you."

"Okay, let's see how this goes," Kate pushes the sheet off her legs. Rick jumps up to stand near her, when she puts her feet on the floor. Kate stands up and pauses a moment. She smiles at Rick and takes several slow steps, testing her left leg. Feeling more confident, she walks to the door and back to the bed. Rick hovers at her side, but doesn't touch her. Kate sits on the bed and smiles at the nurse, "Did I pass?"

"Definitely. I'll print out your discharge papers and get a wheelchair. Be back in about 5 minutes. That's your cue to get dressed," the nurse tells them and leaves the room.

"Rick, where are my clothes?"

Rick grabs the bag with Kate's clothes from the table in the corner of the room. "I'll be happy to help you change."

"Would you get the knot out of the tie at the back of my neck? I must have tugged on it wrong."

Rick unties both bows on the hospital gown and pushes the gown from Kate's shoulders. He massages her shoulders for a moment, before he returns to facing Kate. She removes the hospital gown and hands it to Rick. He whistles softly at her bare torso. Kate rolls her eyes and pulls her bra from the bag, "Later Writer Man. I want to get out of here."

"Yes, Dear." Rick watches Kate dress. He's staying close in case Kate loses her balance, but trying not to let her see his concern. Kate notices what he's doing, but doesn't say or do anything to let Rick know she knows. Her heart warms with her love for her husband. She knows how lucky she is to have a man that cares so much.

Rick calls the car service as soon as Kate is dressed, "Bob, it's Richard Castle again. We will be leaving in the next few minutes. Are we all set on your end?"

"Yes, Mr. Castle. Charlie will be your driver. I'll let him know to pull up to the doors now."

"Thanks, Bob. Charlie's a good man."

The nurse arrives with the wheelchair and asks Kate to sign her discharge orders. "Sign this last page, and we're ready to get you out of here. I have your milk in a Styrofoam container that I got from the lab. It's never been used before, so there's no risk of any contaminants. I put a little ice in the bottom to keep it cold. We'll grab that from the nurses' station as we go by."

"Thank you for all your help today, especially for your help with the milk situation," Kate tells the nurse.

"Not a problem. It's been a few years, but I remember those days. Let's get you home to that baby."

Rick holds the door for the nurse pushing Kate out of the room. She stops at the nurses' station and points to the container with breast milk. Rick picks it up and they move to the exit door.

A/N: There is one more chapter and an epilogue planned. I'm going to Raleigh SuperCon this weekend, so it will be Monday or Tuesday before I post again. No Nathan at SuperCon, but Michael Rooker will be there. Have a nice weekend.


	6. Chapter 6

As promised, Charlie and the town car are waiting at the ER doors. He opens the car's door for Kate as their nurse locks the wheels of the wheelchair. Kate allows Rick to hold her hand as she transfers from the wheelchair to the comfortable town car. Rick thanks the nurse and trots around the car to enter on the opposite side from Kate. He places the Styrofoam container with Kate's 'liquid gold' at his feet and buckles in. Charlie has closed Kate's door and buckles himself in.

"Charlie, thank you for being here waiting for us," Rick greets the driver.

"No problem, Mr. Castle. Do we need to make any stops on the way to your home?" Charlie asks.

R: "Nope. We are ready to get home. It has been a less than wonderful afternoon, and we are missing our new little princess."

C: "There's some traffic issues on our usual route, but I know a way to bypass that. We'll get you home safe and quickly."

R: "Thank you. Safe is the goal for today."

Charlie presses the button to close the divider between himself and his passengers. Once the divider is closed, Kate leans into her husband. Rick kisses the top of Kate's head and drapes his arm around her shoulders. They don't even speak; they just sink into each other, drawing strength and comfort from their partner.

Charlie's detour around the traffic jam on Lafayette goes smoothly. As the town car arrives at the curb on Broome Street, Eduardo hurries to open the door.

"Mrs. Castle, I'm so happy you're home again," Eduardo offers Kate his hand to help her from the car.

"I'm happy to be home, so happy. Thank you," Kate answers him with a smile.

Charlie has opened the door for Rick. "Is there anything else you need, Mr. Castle?"

Rick reaches in to pick up the Styrofoam container after he exits the car, "No, we'll be homebodies for the rest of the day. But, please tell Bob I'll need a car to take my Mother and Alexis home this evening. They have been caring for Lily while we were gone."

C: "It's fortunate that they were available to babysit."

R: "Definitely. I wouldn't have wanted to bring Lily with us to the hospital."

C: "I'll let Bob know about the car for your family, when I call in. I'm sure with 15 or 20 minutes notice, he can have someone here." Rick shakes Charlie's hand and slips him a cash tip in the process.

R: "Thanks. I'll call as soon as we have an idea when they'll need the car."

Charlie tips his hat and enters the car. Rick rushes to catch up to Kate, who is walking to the door of their building. Eduardo is shielding her from pedestrians on the sidewalk. Rick arrives at Kate's opposite side from Eduardo and takes Kate's hand. She squeezes his hand and continues her steady pace to the door.

Once they are inside the elevator, Kate leans against the cool steel walls. Rick still has her hand in his and leans next to her. The elevator music plays Coltrane's "Blue in Green". Kate closes her eyes and lets the music soothe her. Within moments they arrive on their floor and walk to the door of the loft.

Rick unlocks the door and guides Kate in with a hand at her waist. Alexis and Martha are not immediately visible. "Let's go through the office to get to our bedroom. I expect they're in the office," Rick assures Kate.

Before they can see through the bookshelves, they hear Martha singing to Lily. Kate is surprised to hear Martha singing "Baby Mine" from Dumbo. She looks at Rick and sees his eyes shine. "She sang that to me when I was little. I remember she sang it for Alexis, too."

Kate signals Rick to stop, so she can listen to Martha sing. Lily is making happy, cooing sounds. Kate fights the tears that try to fall. Her daughter has a grandmother, even though Kate's mother isn't the one singing to Lily. She knew that Rick had grown up with very little contact with his maternal grandparents, and he never knew any of his paternal relatives. Lily will be blessed with more family than her father had. Before she and Rick continue their walk to the office, Martha has begun to sing "Count Your Blessings" from White Christmas. Kate looks to Rick once again.

"Her lullabies are from musicals. The next one she'll sing is Wendy's Lullaby from Peter Pan. I know that's not the name of it, but I can't remember the real name right now."

K: "Lily will learn so much from your Mother."

R: "Mother has toned down from when I was a child. Let's see our princess."

Martha is still singing softly when they enter the office. Alexis is seated next to Martha and turns when she hears them. "Gram has been entertaining Lily."

Kate answers Alexis, "We waited a minute to listen. Martha, your choice of lullabies is lovely. I would not have thought of those songs to sing to her."

The sound of Kate's voice catches Lily's attention. She squeaks and lifts her head to turn it in Kate's direction. "Our little princess hears her Mommy, doesn't she?" Martha sing songs to Lily.

"Kate, come sit here. I know she wants you to hold her," Alexis stands and moves away from the couch.

Kate sits next to Martha. "Hello, Lily. Did you miss Mommy, while I was gone?"

Lily answers with waving arms and ahh noises. Martha places Lily in Kate's waiting arms. Kate cradles her daughter to her chest, places a kiss to Lily's forehead and inhales her sweet baby scent. Lily responds with a variety of oohs, ahhs, grunts and squeaks. She wraps her fist around the finger Kate taps against Lily's fist. All the adults focus on the baby.

"How are you feeling, Katherine? You seem to be doing well," Martha inquires with some concern.

"The numbness has almost disappeared. I had to be able to walk unassisted, before they would let me leave the hospital. I'm not ready to walk around with Lily in my arms yet, but she's safe in my arms here on the sofa," Kate assures her family.

"I'm going to put the milk you expressed at the hospital in the fridge. Do you need a snack or something to drink?" Rick reaches over Kate's shoulder to caress Lily's face.

K: "A bottle of water would be nice, Babe. Thanks."

"Lily will probably want to be fed in half an hour." Lily takes her cue to root at Kate's breast. Alexis laughs, "Or she could decide to be fed now. Did you hear me, baby?"

"I'll feed her here. Would you grab a burp cloth for me?" Kate asks.

Martha grabs a burp cloth from the shelves under the changing table.

"I'll hold her while you get your clothes prepared," Alexis offers.

Kate allows Alexis to lift Lily from her arms. Lily starts to fuss at the loss of contact with her Mother. Kate tries to calm Lily while she unbuttons her top, "It's okay, baby girl. I'll be ready to feed you in just a minute."

Once Kate is prepared, Alexis slips Lily back into Kate's arms. Lily latches on quickly and nurses with a sigh.

"Would you like some privacy, Katherine? Alexis and I can ask Richard our questions about your time at the hospital."

"I'm fine, Martha. With all the medical procedures of the past year or so, my modesty needs have diminished substantially." Kate laughs.

Rick re-enters the room. "Miss Lily didn't waste any time did she?" He places a bottle of water on the table next to Kate.

"I think it's part hunger and part comfort. Once she's asleep, we can explain my diagnosis to Martha and Alexis."

A/N: If you see any mistakes, let me know. I'm falling asleep right now. 3 days at SuperCon wore me out. I figured a short chapter today was better than making everyone wait until Friday or Tuesday for another chapter.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Sorry this is late. Work has been intense lately.

The redheads fill Kate and Rick in on Lily's time without them. Once Lily finishes nursing, Kate passes her to Rick. She knows that he needs a few minutes holding Lily, and she needs to get her clothes back together.

"Hi, baby girl. Did you miss me, too? I missed you," Rick chatters to Lily as he pats her back. Lily fusses a little. "Yes, I know. You need to burp, darling. Come on, baby girl. You can do it." Lily burps loudly, prompting the adults all to giggle. "Good girl. You are such a wonderful baby." Rick lifts Lily from the burp pad on his shoulder, wipes a little milk from her lips and kisses her. He keeps her close to his face while he responds with nonsense sounds to her vocalizations. His face is lit with his loving smile.

Kate has put her clothing back in place. She opens the bottle of water Rick brought her, and drinks most of it. She and the redheads watch Rick as he answers Lily's ahhs and squeaks with silly faces and echoes of her sounds. Kate feels her heart glow with her love for this man. "Come on, Daddy. I need some food. I never had lunch and neither did you."

R: "We'll have a snack and then we can all have an early dinner. Does that sound like enough?"

K: "I am still eating for two, so that better be a big snack, Mister."

R: "As you wish, Honey. Let's see what we have."

Alexis and Martha are following the trio to the kitchen. Rick passes Lily to Kate when they reach the kitchen island. Alexis speaks up, "Gram and I ordered in some sandwiches and salad from M&M Deli. We were too busy playing with Lily to fix anything. There are leftovers in the fridge. I looked at an online list of magnesium rich foods, so there's a spinach-based salad in there with grilled chicken. I ordered a Cuban sandwich for Dad. I printed out the list I found online."

Rick opens the fridge and moves the salad and sandwich to the counter. He gets a bottle of water for himself. "Alexis, you are brilliant. This looks delicious. Thanks for getting me that sandwich. I haven't had one of those in too long. Would either of you like something while we eat our lunch?"

"I'll take my granddaughter, Katherine. You need your hands to eat." Martha lifts Lily into her arms. "She looks like she's ready for her next nap. You have a full tummy, don't you baby?" Lily is fighting to stay awake. "I'll take her to your room and rock her to sleep." Martha cradles Lily and hums as she walks away.

"Dad, would you hand me a bottle of Dr. Pepper? I know there's some in the fridge."

Rick hands Alexis her soda with his free hand. He is practically inhaling his sandwich. Stress makes people hungry. Before his next bite he returns to the subject of magnesium, "The hospital gave us a list of foods to focus on. They recommended 310 to 360 mg of magnesium per day for Kate. We can compare lists later. I'm grateful and proud that you thought to order food for us."

""Lexis, this salad is delicious. Thank you. Rick, would you pour me a glass of milk, please?"

Rick takes a big bite of his sandwich before he gets Kate her milk. He reaches into a cabinet and withdraws a bottle of vitamins. "Your vitamins have 50 mg of magnesium in them. It shouldn't be too difficult to make sure you have enough magnesium if we make a few tweaks to our diet."

"I do like spinach, as long as it's raw. Cooked spinach…the texture or lack of texture is not something I care for. It's okay in some recipes, but creamed spinach is …" Kate makes a face that in emoji would translate as yuck.

Alexis and Rick laugh at Kate's yuck expression. Martha returns from rocking Lily. "What is so humorous, my dears?"

"Kate was expressing her dislike of creamed spinach. Her accompanying facial expression was funny," Alexis answers Martha's inquiry.

"I totally agree, Katherine. Fresh is best. So, Darlings, what is the complete diagnosis for Katherine? What do we do to keep her healthy?"

"Mother, let me finish my sandwich, and we will fill you in on everything we know."

"Of course, Richard." Martha removes a wine glass from the cabinet and pours herself a small amount of red wine. She sits on the stool next to Kate and sips her wine. Kate leans against Martha's shoulder. Martha gives Kate a hug.

After Kate and Rick have finished their late lunch, the family moves to the sofa. "So, Dad, Kate, tell us what the doctors told you," Alexis prompts a start to the conversation.

Kate looks at her husband, "Rick, you were paying better attention than I was. If I think of something that you skip, I'll speak up."

"Alright, so…The diagnosis is acephalgic migraine. It's a migraine with aura or neurological symptoms but without a headache. The neurologist ordered a CAT scan of her brain to rule out a stroke. That was normal," Rick pauses and takes a calming breath, He is still dealing with his earlier panic. "The doctor also ordered some blood work, and that showed that Kate's magnesium level was low. He said that some research has identified a correlation between low magnesium and migraine. There is some research that has identified a familial component to migraines also. Jim was there and told us that his Mother had migraines when he was young." Rick pauses again to drink some water. "The doctor recommended Kate increase her magnesium intake, but he doesn't want her to take supplements. He said there could be side effects from them. They gave her an IV with magnesium, and he wants her to see a neurologist in about a month. We are planning for her to see Dr. Wright. We liked him, and he's a fan of mine." Rick followed that last comment with a wide smile.

"Let's check with Lanie before we make that appointment. She might recommend someone else," Kate comments.

"Lanie knows Dr. Wright, but I have no objection to getting her input about other doctors that you could see. I did like the fact that he's a fan, though."

"Have you looked at the food list the hospital gave you?" Alexis asked.

"Not closely. It's not an extensive list. It's more a list of different classes of foods, like leafy greens, nuts and seeds, stuff like that. I want to do some research to have specific options to choose from," Rick replied.

"I'll show you the lists I found. It took a while to find a site that had extensive lists of food," Alexis replied.

"I'm hoping some of my favorite foods are at least decent sources of magnesium," Kate joined the discussion.

"You'll be happy to hear that dark chocolate is on the list," Alexis informed Kate with a big smile.

"Now that is a magnesium source I can dig into." Everyone laughed at Kate's enthusiasm.

A/N: I planned to write a longer chapter, but my son needed to talk to me. Next chapter will be either Thursday or Sunday.


	8. Chapter 8

With Lily still sleeping, Kate and Rick chat with Martha and Alexis about their recent news. Martha has stories about her students, and Alexis relates the latest from RCI. The afternoon is becoming early evening, when Lily makes her return from slumber evident with her cries.

"I'll get her. She probably needs a clean diaper," Rick volunteers.

"Thanks, Babe. I'm almost back to normal, but I'm happy to let you do cleanup." Kate smirks at Castle. He bows slightly to her, and then he walks swiftly toward the crying infant.

The ladies continue to talk about anything other than Kate's health scare. Ten minutes later Rick returns with Lily cradled against his chest. She has a pacifier in her mouth, and she's waving an arm around as if she's trying to smack Rick in the chest. "She is fresh and clean. Who wants to entertain her?"

Alexis rises from the sofa to lay claim to her baby sister, "My turn." Rick settles Lily in Alexis's arms and takes a seat next to his wife. "I'm taking her to the nursery. I want to read to her, until she decides she needs Kate's special formula again."

"Darlings, if everything is under control here, I should be heading home. I have to prepare for tomorrow's classes," Martha informs them. She has stopped Alexis from going up the stairs. She smooths down the fine hair on Lily's head. She moves an errant lock of Alexis's hair away from Lily and behind Alexis's shoulder. She runs her hand over Alexis's arm and gives it a squeeze.

"Bye, Gram. I enjoyed our time together today."

"Me, too, kiddo."

Alexis walks up the stairs with Lily, and Martha walks back to Kate and Rick.

"Mother, let me call the car service to take you home," Rick tells Martha.

"Nonsense. Just have Eduardo get me a cab." Martha lifts her purse from the table it has been resting on since her arrival.

"If you're sure." Martha nods at Rick. He grabs the house phone and calls Eduardo.

"Katherine, I know Richard will take care of you, but…if you need anything at all from me, just call. If you need to talk to someone, just call. If Richard is driving you crazy, call me. I will be happy to tone him down for you."

"Thank you for today. I can handle Rick, but if there is anything I need from you, I'll call. You are welcome anytime to sing lullabies."

Martha gives Kate a hug. "I'll be off then. Richard, come lock up behind me."

Rick follows Martha to the door, "Thank you, Mother." He kisses Martha's cheek.

"No thanks necessary. You take care of her, but _don't_ hover."

"Yes, Mother." Martha hugs Rick and flits out the door. He watches her get into the elevator. He closes and locks the door.

Rick returns to Kate's side. He holds her close and kisses her tenderly. "Not a day I'd like to repeat."

"Not what I had planned for today either," Kate answers. She cuddles into Rick's side. After a few moments, Kate speaks again, "I think I should walk around a bit. I'm almost feeling normal. I want to feel confident in myself, before I need to feed Lily again."

Before Kate has time to get up from the sofa, Alexis returns from the 2nd floor. "Lily is having another snooze. I doubt it will last long. I think I'm going to head out. I actually had some plans for tonight, and I don't want to cancel them. I will, if you need me stay."

"No, you go ahead, Pumpkin. You were a lifesaver today," Rick responds. He meets Alexis at the end of the sofa and gives her a hug and a kiss. "Thank you for dropping everything and coming to help today. It made things easier knowing that Lily was home and well taken care of."

"We are so lucky to have you close by. Lily is a lucky baby to have you as her sister," Kate adds to the conversation.

"I love her. I hope you never need me for that situation again, but I'm happy to babysit almost anytime. Love you guys." Alexis leans down to give Kate a hug. "Lets plan a family night soon with Gram and Jim."

"Next week for sure. I'll check with everyone and see what's a good night for it," Kate answers.

"Alexis, let me call the car service for you," Rick tries to take care of his daughter.

"I'm fine, Dad. I'll catch a cab. Call me if you need me. Bye." Alexis walks out of the door.

"We have a little time before Lily wakes up. Her routine is off schedule, so I doubt she'll sleep for long. What do you want to do?" Rick asks Kate.

K: "I need to move around. Let's be domestic and cook dinner, instead of ordering in."

R: "What did you have in mind?

K: "Some kind of casserole with gooey cheese in it. I'm sure I've had enough magnesium for today, since I had an IV of it. We can plan meals for later in the week tomorrow. We have yogurt that I can have at breakfast tomorrow. Yogurt is on the list."

R: "Since we ate lunch so late, we have time for a casserole to finish, before we need to eat dinner. Let's get creative in the kitchen."

K: "I know you're creative."

Rick chuckles and follows Kate into the kitchen.

9 pm that night:

Lily is sleeping in her bassinet in Rick's office. Rick finds Kate in their bathroom brushing her teeth. "Do you want me to move her into our room?" Rick asks Kate.

"No. I don't want to wake her, if we get too loud." Kate smiles at Rick.

"Wait, what? Why would we be loud?"

Kate smirks and crooks her finger to Rick. He moves closer, and she uses his shirt placket to tug him close enough that she can kiss him passionately. She ends the kiss and nibbles his earlobe. She whispers into his ear, "We may not be able to have intercourse, but there are other things we could do."

Rick smiles brightly, "Shiny."

Kate hands him his toothbrush. "Leave your clothes in the hamper and meet me in the bed." She sways her hips and smiles over her shoulder while leaving the room. Rick almost rips the toothpaste tube apart in his eagerness to brush.

When Rick walks naked into the bedroom, Kate is leaning against the headboard with a sheet pulled up to her waist. She's bare. Rick takes a moment to admire her full breasts. Her breasts have always been beautiful, but as a nursing mother her breasts are larger than usual. "Stop staring, Castle, and get in this bed." Kate teases him.

At four weeks postpartum, the restrictions on what they are allowed to do require the lovers to be gentle. Rick fondles his wife, using soft, well-placed touches and being creative to elicit happy moans from Kate. The two lovers speak love with their voices and their touches. They know their partner's body well, using hands, fingers and lips to bring satisfaction to each other. Sated and happy, Kate rests her head on Rick's shoulder. She twines her fingers with his. He rests his cheek on her head.

"I love you, Kate. I was terrified today."

"I was worried, I'm not going to lie to you. I knew something was wrong, but I couldn't accept the possibility that it was going to be serious. I guess it was denial, or maybe defiance. We've had enough crap happen to us already. It's always something, isn't it?"

"Yeah. We need to change that. We deserve,,," Rick's reply is interrupted by Lily's cry over the monitor. "Sounds like someone else needs a change first. I'll get her. " Rick grabs his robe from a nearby chair and walks swiftly to his office. Kate can hear him comforting their daughter while he changes her diaper. In only a few minutes he is walking into the bedroom with Lily in his arms.

"Say hello to Mommy. Isn't she beautiful? I know you can't really see her, yet. You have a smart, brave, beautiful, and remarkable woman for your Mommy."

Kate has pulled the sheet up to cover her breasts and body. Rick sits at Kate's knees and let's Lily play with his fingers. "I don't think she's hungry. She was probably just uncomfortable in that messy diaper." Rick tells Kate. He is rocking back and forth with Lily.

Kate pushes down the sheet. "I'll put on my robe and see if I can rock her back to sleep." Rick slides down the bed enough for Kate to get out. He whistles softly at Kate while she walks to the bathroom to grab her robe.

Lily moves her head toward the place Kate was when she spoke. "Mommy will be right back, little lady. Just wait a minute or two." Rick touches his pinky to Lily's tiny mouth, and she opens it to suck on his finger. "I should have brought your pacifier in here."

Kate emerges from the bathroom with her hair pulled back into a low ponytail. She has on a violet, terry robe. "I'll take her. Is there a passy in her bassinet?" Kate lifts Lily from Rick's arms and kisses her tiny face. "Hello, my angel. Let's go rock for a little while. You need to sleep, my mali cvijet.*"

"I'll dim the lights some more in the office and find her passy. You go rock your baby, Mommy."

"You don't get to call me Mommy. I hate those people who address their spouse as Daddy or Mommy. You may refer to me as Mommy to Lily, but I am Kate or Beckett to you. Understand me, Writer Man?"

"Yes, wife, I understand." Rick laughs as he follows Kate into the office.

"Daddy is a silly man, Lily. He is also a wonderful Daddy." Kate kisses Lily's fingers after she is seated in the rocking chair. Rick finds Lily's pacifier in the bassinet and hands it to Kate. He dims the lights in the office with a remote. Kate hums a few bars of a song, and then starts to sing softly to Lily, "Goodnight, my angel, time to close your eyes…"

Rick recognizes the lyrics from Billy Joel. He sits at his desk and opens his laptop. He has a scene for a future Nikki book bubbling in his mind. One day Nikki will be rocking her daughter and singing to her. Maybe it won't ever make it into a book, but he'll show it to Kate tomorrow.

Kate sings Lily to sleep and continues to rock with the soft click of Rick's laptop keys soothing her mind.

*mali cvijet = little flower

A/N: Sorry for the delay. Family distractions. I thought this would be 7 chapters, but I think I have 2 more. Hoping for an update on Thursday or Friday. My work schedule is still a mess.


	9. Chapter 9

The night had been normal for the parents of an infant. Every 3 or so hours Lily demanded attention. The sun is peeking in through gaps in the curtains when Lily's distress activates the baby monitor. Rick stretches and wipes sleep from his eyes. Lily's fussy cries are soft, and Kate hasn't woken yet. Rick silences the monitor in the hopes of giving Kate a few more minutes of sleep. He slips gingerly out of the bed, trying not to jostle Kate as he moves. His robe is nearby, and he slips it on as he leaves the bedroom.

Lily is fretful, but not crying. "Good morning, sweet girl. Let's get you cleaned up, before we wake up Mommy." Lily calms when she hears her Father's voice. Rick scoops her out of the bassinet and talks soothingly to her while he changes her diaper. He tells her how much he loves her, while he exchanges her pajamas for a clean onesie decorated with baby ducks. "All fresh and clean and as beautiful as always, my little Lily. Do you need Mommy now, or will you let me entertain you in the kitchen?" Lily is cradled high in his arms, close enough that she can touch his chin. He takes her into the kitchen and settles her into her Boppy lounger. She looks so adorable nestled into the special pillow. "I wish they had those types of pillows when Alexis was a baby. It is very hard to make coffee with a baby in your arms. I also wish they had automatic espresso machines. One day you will understand the importance of espresso to your Mommy." After washing his hands, Rick removes the milk carafe from the refrigerator. He attaches it to the Saeco Avanti and uses the touchscreen to start the miracle of espresso automation. He lets Lily play with his fingers, while he waits for his coffee. When the high-end espresso maker has finished its cycle, Rick removes his cappuccino and touches the screen to start Kate's latte. Lily is kicking at the Boppy that she lays on and sucking on her passy. Rick sips his cappuccino and strokes the soft skin of her chubby leg.

"I love a man who makes coffee before he wakes me." Kate strides to Rick's side and he greets her with a kiss. "Morning, Babe. Thanks for letting me sleep in for a little bit."

"You need to actually thank your daughter. She's been content to hang out with her old man so far this morning."

Kate inhales the latte she has removed from the espresso maker. She takes her first sip and smiles at her husband. "You are a blessing in so many ways. Right now, I'm grateful that you bought this espresso miracle machine."

Lily has Rick's pinky clutched in her fist. He wiggles his finger to keep her attention. He is hoping to keep her distracted until they have finished their coffees. "It's worth every penny if it makes you happy."

"I have a feeling today is going to be a better day." Kate leans against Rick's side. Her baby is happy, her coffee is delicious, and her husband is warm and safe at her side.

5 hours later

The morning had been relaxed and routine. Coffee was followed by breastfeeding, breakfast, and napping while Lily napped. More breastfeeding preceded lunch. While Lily has her afternoon snooze, Kate and Rick discuss Dr. Wright while they finish lunch.

"While you were feeding our daughter, I did some research on Dr. Wright. His credentials are impressive. I also called and talked to Lanie. She said he would be the first doctor she would recommend for you. She wants you to call her, by the way."

"If Lanie gives Dr. Wright her recommendation, I have no qualms about scheduling an appointment. He said he wanted to see me in 4 weeks. Check your schedule and see what days you're free that week. We'll have to find a babysitter, because I want you to go with me."

"I shouldn't have any signings scheduled for the next 6 weeks at least. I told Gina and Paula I wanted three months home with you and Lily. Paula wants me to call her about the publicity with the paper, but I'm going to put that off for a while. I will check everyone's schedule for 4 weeks from now and call Dr. Wright's office. And _You_ will take a nap."

"I would argue with you for being domineering, but I actually would love a nap. I'll take the monitor with me, so you can get some work done." Kate kissed Rick, before she picked up the baby monitor and swayed her hips on her way out of the room.

Rick watched Kate leave, grateful for her good mood. He cleared the lunch dishes and went to his office. After a few phone calls to his redheads and to Jim, he had established which dates would be most convenient for Kate's appointment. It only took a quick call to schedule the appointment on a day that both Martha and Alexis are available to care for Lily. He should write, but he'd rather join his wife for a nap. He slips quietly into their bedroom and into their bed. Just before he falls asleep, he wonders who invented blackout curtains.

A/N: Sorry for the delay and the brevity of this chapter. Had to pull an extra shift, and I have a cold. I spent my days off sleeping instead of writing. I'm hoping to have the next chapter up sometime Thursday.


	10. Chapter 10

4 Weeks Later

"Are you sure you don't want me to come with you?" Rick asks Kate for at least the 10th time.

"You stay here and be Mr. Mom. I'm just going to have blood drawn. You are coming with me to the appointment tomorrow afternoon. We're doing this today, so the doctor will have the results tomorrow. I'll be fine." Kate lifts Lily out of her swing. "You be a good for Daddy, sweet girl. I'll be back soon." Kate kisses Lily's face before she puts her back into the swing.

"Lily and I will have fun, while you are being a pincushion," Rick jokes.

"Ha, ha. Funny man. I'm sure it will be fine. See you later," Kate follows her words with a kiss to Rick's cheek.

"Tell Mommy, bye."

"She can't talk yet, silly."

Rick grabs Lily's hand and makes her wave at Kate. "Bye, bye." Rick uses a falsetto to pretend Lily is talking.

Kate laughs, "Goodbye, Miss Lily." Kate walks out the door.

26 Hours Later

"Mrs. Castle. Dr. Wright will see you now," a nurse calls Kate to follow her back to an examining room.

Rick and Kate follow the nurse to a room. The nurse checks Kate's temperature, blood pressure and pulse. She updates Kate's *EMR and tells them the doctor will be with them in a few minutes.

Dr. Wright enters the room and shakes hands with Rick and Kate. "Mrs. Castle, Mr. Castle, I hope you haven't waited long."

"Not long." Kate responds.

Dr. W: "I have your lab results. All your results are within normal limits. Have you had anymore symptoms?"

K: "No, no more numbness or tingling."

Dr. W: "Any headaches? Any vision issues?"

K: "No. Why are you asking about my vision?"

Dr. W: "Visual aura is the most common form of pre-migraine aura. Your vision can develop dark spots or a shimmery line that most often assumes a C shape. Your symptom that led to our meeting in the ER is consistent with hemiplegic migraine, since you developed weakness on one side of your body. So you've had no new symptoms, since I saw you in the ER?"

K: "Nothing neurological that I can think of. My biggest problem is lack of sleep."

Dr. W: "Perfectly normal for the parent of an infant. I'm going to have my nurse bring you a pamphlet about migraine. If you are lucky, there will no further episodes. If you do develop any symptoms that fit with migraine, please call my office for an appointment. If you have a debilitating attack, call my office to be seen immediately."

Rick: "What do you mean by debilitating attack?"

Dr. W: "Migraines can be very painful. They can cause an aversion to light severe enough to cause the patient to retreat into a dark room. If you develop new symptoms, there are medications we can use to control or try to prevent those. Do you have any other questions?"

K: "Do you have any idea how likely I am to develop actual migraines?"

Dr. W: "You've already had an actual migraine. Some of my patients have a migraine rarely. Some of them have them monthly, or even more often. I can't predict what category you will fall into."

R: "So it's a waiting game for the time being?"

Dr. W: "Unfortunately, yes."

K: "Wonderful."

Dr. W: "If you have future symptoms, we will deal with them. There are better medications available than in your Grandmother's day. If you need anything give us a call."

K&R: "Thank you, doctor."

Dr. Wright leaves the room. Kate feels the need for some comfort. She approaches Rick with open arms. He knows what she needs and welcomes her into his embrace.

R: "Whatever happens, we'll deal with it. We shouldn't worry about problems that might never occur."

K: "You're right. Let's go home. We don't want to make Alexis feel we're taking advantage of her."

R: "She loves spending time with her baby sister. We have to wait for the nurse to come back anyway."

As if on cue, the nurse arrives at that moment. "Here is the pamphlet about migraines the doctor wanted you to have. There is a list of websites that you can also visit for information. We recommend you only look at the listed websites, because these websites have information verified by medical experts. Dr. Wright has noted that you will make an appointment as needed. Call if you need anything or have any questions. I'll show you where to checkout."

The Castles follow the nurse to check out. Rick pays Kate's copay, and they catch a cab for home.

30 minutes later

Kate and Rick enter the loft and hear music coming from upstairs. "They must be in the nursery," Rick observes.

K: "Sounds like the mobile. Lily is fascinated with that."

R: "Let's relieve Alexis. That music can become annoying after a while."

K: "Even is she doesn't need relief, I want to see my baby."

6 weeks later

Rick enters the bedroom with 2 cups of coffee, "Time to wake up, Sweetie."

Kate stretches and opens her eyes. She rubs her eyes and smiles at Rick. "Coffee. I love you."

R: "You love me, or you love coffee?"

K: "Both, but right now mostly coffee."

Rick pouts, but hands a coffee to Kate She takes a sip and moans. "Soo good. Thank you, Babe. Is the baby awake?"

"Not yet. She's still asleep." Rick sits on the bed next to Kate's knees and drinks his coffee. Kate places her free hand into Rick's free hand while they drink their coffees. When Rick's coffee is finished, he sets the cup on the nightstand. Leans in to Kate for a kiss. After a few kisses the baby monitor in his pocket awakens with the sound of Lily's snuffles and grunts. "The princess is waking up. I'll go get her. You finish your coffee. I can't do the next part of her routine,"

Kate laughs at Rick's joke. "Thanks. I'll be waiting right here."

Rick leaves to get Lily, and Kate makes a quick trip to the bathroom. She is finishing off her coffee when Rick enters the room with Lily. "Here's Mommy. She's waiting for you, baby girl." Rick hands off the baby to Kate.

"Hello, angel. Are you ready for breakfast?" Kate lets Lily latch on and looks up to Rick. "What's for breakfast, Chef?"

"What would you like? I haven't started anything."

"Eggs, toast, fruit. How does that sound?"

"I can do that."

2 hours later

Lily is in her crib asleep upstairs. Kate and Rick are seated at opposite ends of the sofa reading the paper. Their legs are intertwined on the sofa. "Babe, is there something wrong with the paper?"

"Not that I've noticed. Wrong, how?"

"It's a little blurry." Kate looks over the paper at Rick. "Wait, you're a little blurry, too. This is not good."

"Sweetie, maybe it's the aura Dr. Wright told us about. Do you want me to call his office?"

"Lanie told me that one of her colleagues told her that some patients can avoid the headache if they take Naproxen Sodium as soon as they have aura. I bought some last week. It's in the medicine cabinet in our bathroom. Will you bring me one and a glass of water?"

"Of course. I'll be right back." Rick rushes off to their bedroom. He returns with the bottle of Aleve and a glass of water. He hands Kate the water and opens the medicine bottle. "You're sure you only want one?"

"Just one. If it doesn't help, we'll call Dr. Wright's office." Kate takes the pill from Rick and swallows it. "The blurry has turned into something that looks like an electric worm wiggling in my vision. It's almost fascinating."

"Do you need to lie down in a dark room?"

"No, so far it's just the electric worm. I could use a cuddle."

Rick picks Kate up from the sofa and sits down with her in his lap. She closes her eyes and rests her head on his shoulder. "No headache yet. I hope Lily stays asleep for a while. I like being here like this with you." Kate shifts a little to position her lips at Rick's jawline. She kisses his jaw and breathes in his scent. "I love you."

"I love you, too. You can stay here as long as you like, or until your daughter starts squalling." Rick rocks a little with Kate in his arms.

"Save the rocking for the baby. I just want to cuddle. The heat of your body feels wonderful."

Rick embraces Kate and moves his hand soothingly up and down her arm. She kisses his jaw and he kisses her nose. They simply enjoy their closeness for several minutes. Kate looks at Rick, testing her vision. "The electric worm has shrunk. It's almost gone."

"That's great. We still need to call and make an appointment with Dr. Wright. He wanted to see you, if you developed new symptoms," Rick reminds Kate.

"I'll call during Lily's next nap. She should be waking up soon, and we'll need to eat lunch. I'm not avoiding it, I just want to do it without an interruption," Kate assures Rick.

"I know. I'm sure you want to get a handle on this before you return to work."

K; "I need to talk to him about work, now that we know migraines are a possibility. I can't be in a dangerous situation, if there's the possibility that my vision will blur like it just did. It's not just my safety that could be at stake."

R: "Wait until we see him again to start worrying about work. You have a few more months of maternity leave left. If you need longer, you can take longer. I know you want to go back to work, but we agreed you'd wait until Lily was at least 6 months old. There are milestones I don't want you to miss."

K: "If we keep having to go out without her, and I miss her first laugh I will be pissed."

R: "Once she starts laughing, we will spend many hours doing whatever we can to make her laugh. Baby laughs are the best. I don't have a clear memory of Alexis's first laugh. I just remember wanting to hear it as often as I could."

"I'll call after lunch." Kate kisses Rick, but they are interrupted by Lily's cries for attention. "I'll get her. You figure out something for lunch."

*EMR= Electronic Medical Record


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: Had to do research about meds for this chapter, and even asked one of my docs for advice. Decided not to get specific about the med choices, because of the variables with Kate's medical history. Sorry for the delay.

1 Week Later

Dr. Wright enters the examining room Kate and Rick are waiting in. "Mrs. Castle, Mr. Castle. I had hoped not to see you so soon. My nurse's notes say you had an episode of aura. Tell me about it."

Kate describes her morning visit from the electric worms in her vision.

"Your description is a classic form of aura. Tell Dr. Parrish her recommendation of Naproxen Sodium was a good one. If you are lucky enough to catch the symptoms early, that will probably be your best course of treatment. What dosage of Naproxen did you take for the aura you had?"

Kate responds, "I only took one. It worked within a few minutes."

"In the future, it is okay to take two. Start with one, which is the over the counter dosage, and take a second if you need it. If you get a headache without the aura, I recommend you start with two tablets. Over the counter dosages are half what the prescription strength is. There are other medications I can prescribe for you to take on an as needed basis. I've looked at your history in more depth this morning. Due to the gunshot that nicked your heart, we can't use certain medications for this. I have sample packets of two medicines that I want you to try, if the Naproxen is not effective. If a headache gets severe after you've taken medication, you can come into the office or go to an Urgent Care. There are medicines we can give you as a shot to hopefully stop the headache."

"I am concerned about returning to work. If I'm in a situation where I need to defend myself, I'm worried about having aura when I need to be able to see to shoot," Kate tells Dr. Wright.

Dr. W: "I didn't realize that Precinct Captains were out in the field that often."

K: "Sometimes the criminals come to us. If it's a high profile case, I am expected to be on the scene to handle the operation and talk to the press if necessary."

Dr. W: "I'm aware that your last shooting occurred in your own home. Since LokSat is locked up, do you think you will be in a shooting situation very often?"

K: "I certainly hope not."

Dr. W: "When do you plan to return to work? You're still on maternity leave according to the notes from my nurse."

K: "I have the luxury of being able to take an extended parental leave, since we can afford for me to take leave without pay. My plan is to return in about two months."

Dr. Wright mulls over this information for a few moments. "Alright. What I want you to do is keep a headache diary. Keep track of what you eat and when your menstrual cycles start and stop, along with any aura or headaches you have. Some foods can trigger a migraine, and some women have migraines during certain parts of their menstrual cycle. Schedule another visit in 6 weeks, and bring the headache diary with you. It will give us an idea if there are any triggers for your headache. I'll have my nurse bring you the samples of the two medications that I want you to try. If you do get symptoms, make note of what you take and how long before it works. I'll ask some colleagues, if they have any experience treating patients who are in dangerous occupations. I'll also do some research in medical literature. Any questions?"

Rick responds before Kate has a chance to, "Would you be upset, if I do some research? Research is something I'm very good at."

"I'm aware that you do copious research for your books. My concern is that as a layman, you may not understand what you're reading. On the other hand, I'm sure you feel a need to try to help. Restrict your research to medically factual websites. Stay away from peer to peer websites. If you find anything pertinent, please bring it in with you," Dr. Wright responded.

"Thanks for letting me try to help. It's in my job description as her husband."

Kate and Dr. Wright both chuckle at Rick's response. Kate thanks the doctor for his time and he leaves the room.

2 weeks later

It happens while Kate is napping. She wakes to the worst headache of her life. It feels like a sledgehammer is pounding her right temple. Kate notices there is no aura, just the headache. She hurries into the en-suite bathroom and takes two Aleve. She returns to the bed and lies back down. She checks the clock on her nightstand, so she can time how long the medicine takes to work. She isn't able to go back to sleep, even though the pounding in her head lessens each minute. Twenty minutes later, the pounding is just an annoyance. She makes a note in her headache diary, before she leaves the bedroom in search of her husband.

Kate finds Rick in his office, his fingers flying over the keys of his laptop. It only takes him a moment to become aware of her presence. "Did you have a nice nap, Honey?"

"I woke up with a headache. The worst headache I've ever had. Hurt worse than being clobbered by a perp."

"You don't look like you're in pain now. I guess you already took some medicine."

"You're always so observant," Kate chuckles. "I took two Aleve. It took about 20 minutes to work, and I'm feeling almost normal. Is Lily still sleeping?"

"Nary a peep out of the princess, since you put her down," Rick tells Kate. He saves his work, twice, and closes the laptop. He takes Kate's hand and pulls her into his lap. "So, you're feeling better?" With Kate in his lap, he kisses her brow and rubs her back gently.

"It's almost all better." Rick's lips help her forget about her headache. He leans back in the chair, and Kate repositions herself for better access to Rick's face. Knowing that Lily may wake at any moment, they limit their physical expressions of love for now.

As expected, Lily wakes and demands their presence a few minutes later. The couple sneaks in a few more kisses as they ascend the stairs to greet their princess.

A/N: I'd like to clarify Kate's maternity leave, because it caused confusion for some people. I am in the US, and I am aware that many businesses have restrictions on how long they allow employees to be out on leave. I researched the NYPD regulations on maternity/parental leave. NYPD allows an employee to start their maternity leave a month before the due date. They allow up to 12 months of unpaid parental leave, after using sick leave for medical maternity leave and then using any available vacation days. So Kate taking off 5 or more months after Lily was born is not an error. Kate and Rick could easily afford for Kate to be out for more than a year and abide by the NYPD regulations.


	12. Chapter 12

2 hours later than in the last chapter

Rick is typing in his office. Kate is sitting on the floor next to the windows in his office. Lily is lying on the floor between Kate's knees. Kate is using Lily's stuffed elephant to tease Lily and elicit a smile from her baby. Lily is reaching for the elephant. After Kate pulls the elephant away she leans in and makes a silly face for Lily. Lily laughs.

"Rick, did you hear that? She laughed."

"I thought I heard something. What did you do?" Rick leaves his laptop and kneels behind Kate.

"I made my blowfish face for her." Kate waves the elephant in front of Lily and makes a sound like an elephant trumpeting. Lily laughs louder than before.

"That is adorable. Can you laugh for Daddy, Princess?" Rick reaches down and lifts the dress that Lily is wearing. He blows a raspberry on Lily's tummy. Lily laughs even louder.

"Rick, you were right. Baby laughs are the best."

Rick moves his face mere inches from Lily. He makes a silly face, but Lily doesn't laugh. She freezes and stares at him. Rick looks at Kate, disappointed. "I guess I'll have to work on that."

Kate laughs. She kisses Rick's cheek as he makes one silly face after another in an attempt to elicit more laughs from Lily. "I love you, silly man."

4 weeks later

Kate and Rick are seated in an exam room, waiting for Dr. Wright to enter the room. Kate is fiddling with the small notebook in her lap. It contains the headache diary that she started after her appointment 6 weeks ago.

Rick reaches for Kate's hand, "Are you nervous? You usually don't fidget, at all. That is my MO."

Kate smiles at Rick, "I'm just a little concerned about going back to work with the migraines. I've only had a few episodes, but I don't know any other members of the force who have migraines."

"Whatever happens, we'll handle it. Let's wait and see what the Doc recommends," Rick squeezes her hand in support.

Dr. Wright enters the room after a quick knock on the door, "Hello to you both. The nurse's notes tell me that you have had two headaches and two instances of aura. I know you are both investigators of a sort. Have you noticed any triggers for these?"

"Both headaches occurred the day before my cycle started. I haven't figured out what triggered the aura attacks," Kate answers.

Dr. W: "Has the naproxen been able to handle your symptoms each time?"

K: "Yes. Usually takes about 20 minutes to work."

Dr. W: "Give me a few minutes to look over your headache diary. The menstrual related headaches are not uncommon. I'd recommend taking a naproxen every 12 hours beginning two days before you anticipate your cycle starting."

K: "I highlighted the headaches in pink, so you could find those days easily."

Dr. W: "Thank you. That will help."

Dr. Wright scans the pages of the headache diary. He flips back and forth between the pages that have the aura symptom highlighted on them. "Do you happen to remember what the weather was like on the days you had the aura?"

K: "Should I have put weather reports in the diary? You didn't mention that."

R: "What are the dates? I can look it up on my cell phone quickly."

Dr. Wright tells Rick the dates. "When a weather front drops the barometric pressure significantly, it can trigger a migraine. There are weather sites that have migraine forecasts on their websites."

R: "I do remember that one of the days Kate had the aura, we had a bad storm." Rick is scrolling quickly on his cell phone. "The weather data for both days has rain and lightning listed."

K: "I do remember thunder making Lily cry, while I had the aura one of those times."

Dr. W: "We've identified possible triggers for your migraine symptoms. I recommend that you do the same naproxen dosing for days when storms are forecast, as I recommended for days close to the start of your cycle. Keep your headache diary, and schedule another appointment for 3 months from now."

K: "What about my job? Will I be able to return to work when I planned to?"

Dr. W: "That decision is up to you and Mr. Castle. When is your next cycle due to start?"

K: "Around the time I return to work."

Dr. W: "I was hoping you'd have an opportunity to try the prophylactic dosing of naproxen prior to your first day back at work."

Rick is tapping at his phone, "You're due to start back to work two days before your next cycle is due. I keep track of when I need to have extra chocolate in the house."

Kate and Dr. Wright both laugh at Rick's reasoning for keeping track of Kate's cycle.

K: "I married a smart man."

Dr. W: "Yes, you did. Would it be possible for you to postpone your return to work for a week or longer? That way we'll have a chance for you to see if the naproxen will stave off a headache. There is also the possibility that the stresses of work could be a factor, and I'd like to see if the prophylactic dose of naproxen helps, before another possible trigger is added to your life."

Kate looks at Rick. He nods and smiles at her. "I'll call my superior and tell her I'd like to extend my parental leave for at least 2 weeks. She used to be my captain, so I think she'll be accommodating to that."

Dr. W: "If you need for me to write a medical leave form, I have no qualms about doing that. I think it's in your best interest to have the opportunity to try this treatment plan before you return to work."

R: "Kate, I'm sure Gates will be fine with the delay. Tell her the reason for the delay. Maybe she knows other officers who have migraines."

K: "I'll call her when we get home. We'll see you in 3 months then."

Dr. W: "Remember you can call with any concerns or new symptoms."

K: "Thank you. I will."

3 hours later

"This is Captain Kate Beckett. I need to talk with Deputy Chief Gates."

Rick is entertaining Lily with her stuffed elephant. He is hiding the elephant behind his back and bringing it back out from different heights to catch her attention. Lily is in her bouncer and kicking her feet in delight. She manages to grab the elephant's trunk and laughs with joy.

"Kate, how are you and your little angel?" Victoria Gates answers the phone.

K: "Lily is a delight. She's laughing and able to sit up with a little support."

V: "I look forward to seeing her again. I know you didn't call to talk about the baby."

K: "I need to extend my parental leave for at least two weeks. I've started having migraines, and my doctor would like me to have the opportunity to try some treatment options before I return to work."

V: "That shouldn't be a problem. Lieutenant McCarthy has been covering for you. I'm sure he'll be happy to stay a little longer. It will give him more experience and an advantage, when the next Captain vacancy becomes available. How are you doing with the headaches?"

K: "I've only had two headaches, but I've had aura three times. The medication has worked quickly. My doctor wants me to take some medication in an attempt to prevent the migraines. That's the reason for the delay in my return to work. Do you know any other members of the force with migraines?"

V: " I knew a Sergeant at the 14th who had migraines. He opted to be the Desk Sergeant. He had what I think are called cluster headaches. He took pain meds and managed to get in his 20. He had plans to work as a security consultant. I have friends who have migraines, but none of them are NYPD."

K: "Women are more likely to have migraines and less likely to be cops."

V: "Kate, I'll inform Lt. McCarthy that he'll be at the 12th for at least two more weeks. If you need more time, call me. If you are able to meet me for lunch before you return to work, I'd love to see Lily again."

K: "Thank you. I'll talk to Rick and call you about a date for that lunch. Lily hasn't been on a lunch date before."

V: "As long as you bring Lily, I think I can put up with having your husband there as well."

Kate laughs. "That's a deal. I'll call you."

Two weeks later

Kate has been taking naproxen every 12 hours for three days. Her cycle started this morning, but she hasn't had any migraine symptoms. She is sitting on the floor of Rick's office with Lily. Kate's hands are close to Lily, just in case, while Lily is sitting on her own with a stuffed giraffe in her hands. Rick looks at his wife and daughter and smiles. He is a lucky man.

10 hours later

"I started this morning, and I haven't gotten a headache or aura."

Rick kisses Kate. "Dr. Wright's plan seems to be working. The last two months the headache arrived prior to your cycle. Did he say how long you should continue the meds after your cycle starts?"

K: "I'll call and ask."

R: "Guess that will have to wait until tomorrow."

K: "The baby is asleep. I'm going to take a shower. Meet me in the bedroom in a few minutes?"

R: "Of course. Do you need a massage?"

K: "Mostly need cuddles with my Hubby."

R: "As your husband, I am always available for cuddles."

Two Days Later

Kate and Rick return to the loft with Lily asleep in her carrier. Their lunch with Victoria Gates was pleasant. Gates had enjoyed coaxing laughs from Lily. The new sights and people she had encountered had fascinated Lily.

"Gates likes our daughter more than she's ever liked me," Rick tells Kate with a slight whine in his voice.

"Lily is cuter than you are, Babe. You will just have to accept that."

"Not funny, Beckett, but true. I was surprised when you told Gates you'll need two more weeks of leave."

Kate lifts the baby from her carrier and into her crib. She turns on the baby monitor and leads Rick out of the room. "I'm enjoying my time at home. Espo and Ryan say Lt. McCarthy is doing a good job. They were careful _no_ t to praise him too highly, but I got a sense that the precinct is doing fine. Now that I know how to deal with the migraine situation, I thought we could take a week to go to the Hamptons before I go back to work. What do you think?"

"I think you are brilliant, and that I need to pack."

"Tomorrow, Rick. We'll pack tomorrow."

A/N: Thank you to everyone who followed along with this story. It was supposed to be 5 or 6 chapters, but my OCD kept making me cover the medical side of it too thoroughly. Sorry about that. This is the end of this story. My story BHE is what I imagine happens next for Caskett in this universe. When the writing fairy strikes again, I hope to add some chapters to that story.


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